Susan Wilkins

I spent twenty-five years writing television drama, with over 100 broadcast credits including episodes of Casualty, Heartbeat, Coronation Street and EastEnders, and I created the BBC detective series South of the Border. It was the best possible training in one thing: never letting the reader off the hook.

Now I write crime thrillers that dig deep into human psychology. How do ordinary people end up on the wrong side of the law? That's what I'm always asking. My protagonists are usually women facing down ruthless opponents; some are detectives, others are survivors caught in a web of lies they didn't choose.

Creating characters from scratch is the best part of the job. They become real people to me, and I want my readers to be privy to their thoughts and feelings, their struggles and triumphs. I've created cops, like Jo Boden and Megan Thomas, and then more morally complex individuals, like Kaz Phelps. I love writing series because it gives these characters space to grow and take on a life of their own.

I grew up in Essex, studied Law, and now live in Devon, where I walk by the sea most days and drink too much coffee.